Arts & Entertainment
Calendar: March 30
Concerts, exhibits, parties and more through April 5


PATTI LABELLE plays the Music Center at Strathmore with back-to-back performances tonight and Saturday. (Photo courtesy Strathmore)
TODAY (Friday)
Potomac Productions presents “Lynda Carter: Body & Soul” tonight at the Kennedy Center (2700 F St., N.W.) at 7:30 p.m. Tickets range from $30 to $65 and can be purchased online at kennedy-center.org. Carter, most famous for playing “Wonder Woman” in the ‘70s, has reignited her singing career in recent years.
Jen Urban and the Box with Frankie and Betty play Phase 1 (525 8th St., S.E.) tonight at 9 p.m. There is a $10 cover and all attendees must be 21 or older.
The HIV Working Group will be doing outreach tonight at Town (2009 8th St., N.W.) during Bear Happy Hour starting at 7 p.m. and continuing throughout the night until midnight. Volunteers are needed. For more information, visit thedccenter.org.
Violent Vickie, Lazerbitch and Lost Bois play Comet Ping Pong (5037 Connecticut Ave., N.W.) tonight at 10 p.m. There is a $10 cover for this event.
Patti LaBelle plays the Music Center at Strathmore (5301 Tuckerman Lane, North Bethesda) tonight at 8 p.m. Tickets range from $35 to $120 and can be purchased online atstrathmore.org. She will also be performing Saturday at 8 p.m.
Shawn Colvin plays the Birchmere (3701 Mt. Vernon Ave., Alexandria) tonight at 7:30 p.m. with Carsie Blanton. Tickets are $45 and can be purchased online at ticketmaster.com.
Busboys & Poets will be hosting ASL open mic poetry tonight at 11 p.m. in the Langston Room at its 14th and V streets location (2021 14th St., N.W.). Anyone with sign language knowledge may sign up to recite a poem or sign a song by e-mailing [email protected]. There is a $5 cover.
Saturday, March 31
Wayne Brady joins the National Symphony Orchestra for “Wayne Brady Sings the Sammys,” tonight at the Kennedy Center (2700 F St., N.W.) at 8 p.m. Tickets range from $20 to $85 and can be purchased online at kennedy-center.org.
D.C. native comedian and Huffington Post writer Tom Rhodes will be at Riot Act Comedy Theater (801 E St., N.W.) tonight at 8 and 10:30 p.m. Tickets are $20 and available online at riotactcomedy.com.
Ensemble group Hot Club of San Francisco plays Wolf Trap (1645 Trap Rd., Vienna) tonight at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $30 and available online at wolftrap.org.
The Lodge (21614 National Pike, Boonsboro) and Boyz Town present “Spring Fever: The Undies and Panties Party” tonight featuring the Hot Bod contest and beats by DJ Keith Hoffman. No cover before 10 p.m., $5 cover after.
Adventuring is having a hike at Little Devils Stairs and Piney Branch Loop today. The group is meeting at 8:30 a.m. in the Pentagon Reservation parking lot on Army Navy Drive, across from Macy’s in Pentagon City. Estimated costs are $15 for transportation, if not driving, $8 for park admission and the $2 trip fee. For more information, visit adventuring.org.
Sunday, April 1
Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band play Verizon Center (601 F St., N.W.) tonight at 7:30 p.m. Tickets range from $68 to $98 and can be purchased online atticketmaster.com.
The Fridge (516 1/2 8th St., S.E.) presents “Dissociative” by graffiti artist Scotchopening today. There will be a stencil and spray paint class with the artist from 2 to 4 p.m. followed by an opening reception until 8 p.m.
Monday, April 2
Focus-In! Films presents “Howl” as its April Film of the Month and in celebration of National Poetry Month with a screening at Busboys & Poets’s Hyattsville location (5331 Baltimore Ave., Suite 104) tonight at 7 p.m. The film stars James Franco as a young Allen Ginsberg. This is a free screening.
Green Lantern (1335 Green Court, N.W.) hosts Bears Do Yoga this evening from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. upstairs and karaoke hosted by Mike at 9:30.
Tuesday, April 3
The Chesapeake Squares, a gay square dancing group, are having a mainstream-through-advanced club night tonight at the Waxter Center (1000 Cathedral St.) in Baltimore from 8 to 10 p.m. For more information, visit chesapeakesquares.org.
Join Burgundy Crescent Volunteers to help pack safer sex kits from 7 to 9 p.m. tonight at FUK!T’s packing location, Green Lantern, 1335 Green Ct., N.W.
Wednesday, April 4
The D.C. Center (1318 U St., N.W.) is having a four-session course on financial planning for same sex couples starting today at 6 p.m. Material will include understanding investments, family protection building and more. To register for this free program, email[email protected].
Riot Act Comedy Theater’s (801 E St., N.W.) monthly gay and gay-friendly comedy show “Gay-larious” returns tonight at 8:30 p.m. with Frank Liotti, Jess Wood and co-founders Chris Doucette and Zach Toczynski. Tickets are $15 and can be purchased online at riotactcomedy.com.
Joan Osborne plays the Birchmere (3701 Mt. Vernon Ave., Alexandria) tonight with Lera Lynn. Tickets are $35 and can be purchased online at ticketmaster.com.
Thursday, April 5
The Transmen Discussion Group meets tonight at the D.C. Center (1318 U St., N.W.) from 6 to 7 p.m. in the conference room.
The Shondes with Troll Tax and Fell Types will play the Rock and Roll Hotel (1353 H St., N.E.) tonight at 8 p.m. Tickets are $10 and can be purchased online atrockandrollhoteldc.com.
Kevin Costner and his band Modern West play the Music Center at Strathmore (5301 Tuckerman Lane, North Besthesda) tonight at 8 p.m. Tickets range from $35 to $90 and can be purchased online at strathmore.org.
Photos
PHOTOS: Independence Day Weekend in Rehoboth
Wicked Green Pool Party, fireworks among festivities

Vacationers and residents alike enjoyed Independence Day Weekend activities in Rehoboth Beach, Del. The Wicked Green Pool Party drew hundreds to the CAMP Rehoboth fundraiser on Saturday. That evening, revelers went to the rooftops to watch the fireworks display.
(Washington Blade photos by Daniel Truitt)













Music & Concerts
Red, White, and Beyoncé: Queen Bey takes Cowboy Carter to D.C. for the Fourth of July
The legendary music icon performed on July 4 and 7 to a nearly sold-out Northwest Stadium.

Just in time for Independence Day, Beyoncé lit up Landover’s Commanders Field (formerly FedEx Field) with fireworks and fiery patriotism, bringing her deeply moving and genre-defying “Cowboy Carter” tour to the Washington, D.C. area.
The tour, which takes the global icon across nine cities in support of her chart-topping and Grammy-winning country album “Cowboy Carter,” landed in Prince George’s County, Maryland, over the Fourth of July weekend. From the moment Beyoncé stepped on stage, it was clear this was more than just a concert — it was a reclamation.
Drawing from classic Americana, sharp political commentary, and a reimagined vision of country music, the show served as a powerful reminder of how Black Americans — especially Black women — have long been overlooked in spaces they helped create. “Cowboy Carter” released in March 2024, is the second act in Beyoncé’s genre-traversing trilogy. With it, she became the first Black woman to win a Grammy for Best Country Album and also took home the coveted Album of the Year.
The record examines the Black American experience through the lens of country music, grappling with the tension between the mythology of the American Dream and the lived realities of those historically excluded from it. That theme comes alive in the show’s opening number, “American Requiem,” where Beyoncé sings:
“Said I wouldn’t saddle up, but
If that ain’t country, tell me, what is?
Plant my bare feet on solid ground for years
They don’t, don’t know how hard I had to fight for this
When I sing my song…”
Throughout the performance, Beyoncé incorporated arresting visuals: Black cowboys on horseback, vintage American iconography, and Fox News clips criticizing her genre shift — all woven together with voiceovers from country legends like Dolly Parton and Willie Nelson. The result was a multimedia masterclass in storytelling and subversion.
The “Cowboy Carter” tour has been a social media sensation for weeks, with fans scrambling for tickets, curating elaborate “cowboy couture” outfits, and tailgating under the summer sun. At Commanders Field, thousands waited in long lines for exclusive merch and even longer ones to enter the stadium — a pilgrimage that, for many, felt more like attending church than a concert.
One group out in full force for the concert was Black queer men — some rocking “denim on denim on denim on denim,” while others opted for more polished Cowboy Couture looks. The celebration of Black identity within Americana was ever-present, making the concert feel like the world’s biggest gay country-western club.
A standout moment of the night was the appearance of Beyoncé’s 13-year-old daughter, Blue Ivy Carter. Commanding the stage with poise and power, she matched the intensity and choreography of her mother and the professional dancers — a remarkable feat for someone her age and a clear sign that the Carter legacy continues to shine.
It’s been nearly two decades since Beyoncé and Destiny’s Child parted ways, and since then, she’s more than lived up to her title as the voice of a generation. With “Cowboy Carter,” she’s not just making music — she’s rewriting history and reclaiming the space Black artists have always deserved in the country canon.
a&e features
From Prohibition to Pride: Queering the District podcast reveals local LGBTQ history
The new podcast explores the hidden history and enduring impact of queer spaces in Washington, D.C.

On June 25, as Pride month inched toward its end, three queer creators launched an ambitious project to honor the spaces that built D.C.’s LGBTQ community—and connect them to today’s queer life. The first episode of their podcast, Queering the District, hit streaming platforms that day, aiming to spotlight what host and co-creator Abby Stuckrath calls “third places”: bars, clubs, and gathering spots that have served as hubs for queer life across the city.
Each episode of the 10-part series delves into a different piece of D.C.’s queer past—from landmark clubs to untold personal stories—told through the voices of drag legends, activists, DJs, historians, and patrons who lived it. The show also threads together personal experiences from today’s community, bringing the listener on an auditory journey from Prohibition-era speakeasies to contemporary nights out at places like As You Are or Saints & Sinners.
Abby Stuckrath, alongside her sibling Ellie Stuckrath, and producer Mads Reagan, make up the podcast’s creative team. A recent journalism graduate of American University, Abby told the Blade that her passion for queer storytelling began during college—and that D.C. itself played a defining role in shaping her queer identity.
“I went to American University. I graduated last year and studied journalism. When I was in school, I always wanted to focus on queer stories – especially in D.C., because I’m from Denver, Colorado, I’ve never lived in a place like this before. D.C. has always just kind of been a place I call home when it comes to my queer identity.”
But breaking into the media to tell those stories wasn’t easy. Stuckrath quickly learned that editorial support—and funding—for queer-focused projects is limited. So she decided to do it her own way.
“I kind of found out that if you want to tell stories, you kind of have to do it on your own– especially when it comes to queer stories. There’s not a lot of people begging for us to talk about queer people and to pay you for it. So I was like, ‘Okay, let’s just do it on my own.’”
The idea for the podcast first took root in conversations with Ellie, Abby’s sibling and biggest supporter. Ellie had also moved to D.C. to find more space to explore and express their queer and gender identities. Together, the two began shaping a vision that would combine storytelling, sound design, and grassroots community input.
“I was like, ‘I don’t know what exactly I want to do yet, but I want it to be queer, and I want it to be about D.C., and it’s going to be called Queering the District, and we’re going to find out what that means.’ And Ellie is my biggest supporter, and my best friend. And they were like, ‘Hell yeah. Like, let’s do this.’ And so we decided to just do it together.”
The name stuck—and so did the mission. The team began researching queer D.C. history and found a city overflowing with stories that had rarely been documented, especially in mainstream archives.
“We started looking up the history of queer culture in D.C., and it kind of just clicked from there,” Stuckrath said. “I did not know anything about how rich our history is in the city until one Google search, and then I just kept learning more and more. I was kind of pissed because I studied gender studies in school in D.C. and didn’t learn shit about this.”
Season one focuses on the role of third places—non-work, non-home spaces where queer people could gather, exist fully, and build community.
“Third places have always been the epicenter of queer life… places outside of just your own personal home, because sometimes that isn’t a safe place. And of course, the work most commonly in the past and still today, isn’t a safe place for queer people to be full of themselves. So like, bars were the first place for queer people to really thrive and meet each other.”
To make the show participatory, Queering the District includes a twist: a voicemail line where anyone can call in and share a memory or question. The team calls the phone “Fifi”—a nod to the kind of retro guestbooks often used at weddings, but reimagined for queer nightlife and history.
“We wanted to find a way for people to share their stories with us anonymously… so even though we start in Prohibition, we wanted to connect it to now—like, those people who were singing jazz to each other in a white queer bar are connected to you singing karaoke on a Sunday night at your favorite gay bar. We’re all interconnected by this third place of queer bars in D.C.”
Those connections are emotional as well as historical. While building the series, one realization hit Stuckrath particularly hard: the immense loss of queer spaces in D.C., especially in neighborhoods that have since been heavily redeveloped.
“Every time I go to a Nats game, I think about, well, this just replaced five gay bars that used to be here. It used to be the home of Ziegfeld’s… Tracks, which was almost 2,000 square feet, with a volleyball court in the back, a fire pit, and iconic light show. I just didn’t know that we had that, and it made me sad for the queer elders that are in our city now who walk the streets and don’t see all those places they used to call home.”
That sense of loss—alongside the joy and resilience of queer community—is what the show aims to capture. As the podcast continues, Abby hopes it serves as both a celebration and an educational tool, especially for young LGBTQ people arriving in D.C. without realizing the queer foundations they’re walking on.
“D.C. is a unique city, and specifically young queer people who are hoping to move to the city—to know that you’ve got to know your history to be here. I hope this serves as an easier way for you to consume and learn about queer history, because queer history defines how we move in life.”
And for all the voices still left out, Abby is clear: this podcast is an open door, not a final word.
“This is a perfectly imperfect podcast. We should just be a starting point. We shouldn’t be the ending point.”
New episodes of Queering the District drop every Wednesday on all major platforms.
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